Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle

in terms of class, the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle over 2 miles at 14.50 CET at Newcastle, is the best race of the day and should have a strong bearing on the Champion Hurdle, with several leading fancies entered. Binocular (Nicky Henderson/ Tony McCoy), favourite for the Champion Hurdle last March and only beaten half a length, is our selection here, especially with the stable in such good form. He is one of only 2 British-trained runners, the other 5 coming over from Ireland. Best of them on recent form is clearly the hugely-improved Solwhit (Charley Byrnes/ Davy Russell), who has won 6 of his last 7 races, including the last 4, but we also expect Sublimity (Robert Hennessy/ Philip Carberry) - who after all won at Cheltenham in 2007 - to run a big race. Al Eile (John Queally/ Timmy Murphy) also has a chance, but seems to reserve his best form for Aintree. Henderson broke the Irish monopoly on the Champion Hurdle last time and we fancy that he has good prospects again, w ith Binocular possibly (though by no means certainly!) his best shot.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Something Silver - Pamak D`Airy - Justtheoneforyou
2. Race: Donegal - Heez A Steel - Diklers Oscar
3. Race: Weapon`S Amnesty - Abbeybraney - Lucky Wish
4. Race: Binocular - Solwhit - Sublimity
5. Race: Quantitativeeasing - Wave Power - St Devote
6. Race: Seek The Truth - Treehouse - Indy Mood
7. Race: The Last Derby - According To John - Coe